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Environmental
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November 26, 2024
Utah, Farm Groups Can't Reopen Bears Ears Monument Case
A D.C. federal judge has denied a bid by the state of Utah and two farming groups to lift a more than three-year stay in a challenge to the Bears Ears National Monument, saying that pending independent proceedings weigh upon the case and that there's no evidence of a demonstrated hardship.
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November 26, 2024
Tossing Uri Consumers' Claims Stifles 'Growth,' Justice Says
A Texas appellate court justice said Tuesday that a decision by the court finding that power plants owed nothing to consumers for damages resulting from outages during Winter Storm Uri stifles "growth" in common law, dissenting from his colleagues who denied a motion for the whole court to rehear the case.
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November 26, 2024
NY Groups, Truckers Say Congestion Pricing Unconstitutional
A New York teachers union, and coalitions of residents and truckers have told a federal judge that Manhattan's recently resurrected congestion pricing is still unconstitutional and discriminatory, and federal and state transportation agencies shouldn't be allowed to shake their claims just because the tolls will be reduced.
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November 26, 2024
Claims Court Won't Let US Slip Landowners' Flooding Suit
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has refused to let the federal government escape a suit filed by property owners who claimed that their properties were taken without just compensation due to years of destructive flooding caused by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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November 26, 2024
Delta's Preemption Stance Flops In Seattle Jet Pollution Suit
A Washington federal judge has declined Delta and Alaska Airlines' bid to dismiss a proposed class action filed by neighbors of Seattle's primary airport over alleged flight-path pollution, saying it's too early to tell whether the claims will be preempted by federal regulations governing air travel or plane emissions.
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November 26, 2024
EPA Asks Justices Not To Block Coal Ash Rule
U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar called on the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to reject a Kentucky electric utility's effort to halt a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule strengthening federal regulations requiring safe management of coal ash.
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November 26, 2024
Mohawk Sues PFAS Manufacturers For Fraud
The world's largest flooring manufacturer has sued 3M Co., E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., The Chemours Co., and Daikin America Inc. in Georgia state court, alleging the chemical manufacturers lied about the dangers of so-called forever chemicals in order to trick the company into purchasing their products.
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November 26, 2024
NC Governor Says $227M Hurricane Relief Bill 'Plays Politics'
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday vetoed a Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill in which Republican lawmakers had shoehorned measures to strip his and other Democrat-controlled offices of certain powers, calling it "sham" legislation.
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November 26, 2024
Maine Launches Climate Fraud Suit Against Oil Giants
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey slapped Exxon, Shell, Chevron and other oil giants with a complaint in state court Tuesday, echoing claims asserted by other states and municipalities across the country that the companies carried out a successful climate deception campaign for decades.
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November 26, 2024
EPA Overstepped With Methane Control Rule, DC Circ. Told
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methane control requirements for oil and gas infrastructure infringe on states' authority to tailor their own regulations, Republican-led states and fossil fuel industry groups told the D.C. Circuit Monday.
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November 26, 2024
Illinois Landowners Blast FERC Moves On $7B Power Line
The Federal Energy Regulatory unlawfully amended a negotiated rate authority for the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage power line despite not sanctioning a 2020 change in project ownership, Illinois residents, farmers and landowners told the D.C. Circuit Monday.
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November 26, 2024
Chemical Co. Demands Defense Coverage In PFAS Foam MDL
Specialty chemical company Clariant Corp. is suing five of its insurers in the North Carolina Business Court seeking defense costs in a host of underlying mass tort lawsuits over forever chemicals found in firefighting foam products.
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November 26, 2024
River Group Sues Pa. Silver Refiner Over Water Pollution
A Delaware River advocacy group has filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against a Pennsylvania silver refinery, alleging the facility has been dumping polluted stormwater into the river.
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November 25, 2024
Swinomish Tribe Wants In On Tidegate Opinion Fight
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has asked a Washington federal judge to let it intervene in a lawsuit by a county dike district against a U.S. government biological opinion that finds that a proposed tidegate project endangers salmon.
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November 25, 2024
FHWA Says Rule Doesn't 'Compel' States To Lower Emissions
The Federal Highway Administration defended a new rule calling on states to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federally funded highway projects, telling the Fifth Circuit in a Friday brief the rule doesn't actually compel states to lower their emissions.
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November 25, 2024
GATX Rips Norfolk Southern's Bid To Shift Derailment Liability
GATX Corp. and its subsidiary General American Marks Co. have told an Ohio federal court that Norfolk Southern cannot offload liability for the February 2023 East Palestine derailment and toxic chemical spill, saying there's zero evidence GATX improperly maintained or inspected a tank car involved in the accident.
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November 25, 2024
Monsanto Attacks 'Frankenstein' Ruling In $185M PCB Verdict
Even though a lower state appellate court upended a $185 million jury verdict in a PCB tort brought by schoolteachers, Monsanto says Washington's high court should reject the part of the ruling that created a "Frankenstein's monster" that could let the teachers get around the state's ban on punitive damages in product liability cases by relying on Missouri law.
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November 25, 2024
Calif. Gov. Promises EV Tax Credit If Trump Axes Federal
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said that he's preparing to save electric vehicle tax credits — at least for residents of his state — if the Trump administration and a Republican Congress eliminate federal ones.
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November 25, 2024
$65M Deal In Texas Drilling Suit Gets Final OK
A Texas federal judge gave the final green light Monday to a $65 million settlement against oil and gas company Apache Corp. filed by investors alleging they were deceived by promises of a potentially lucrative drilling project that ultimately led to a $3 billion write-down when it went bust.
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November 25, 2024
Housing Project Will Pollute Public Water, Conn. City Says
The construction of 16 houses in Ledyard, Connecticut, will contaminate the groundwater and endanger the drinking water supply for people living on the site, the city of Groton's water department said in an appeal of the project's approval to the state court.
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November 25, 2024
Kirkland, Milbank Shape $3.5B Blackstone-EQT Corp. JV
EQT Corp., led by Kirkland & Ellis, will form a $3.5 billion joint venture with Blackstone Credit & Insurance to take over ownership of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and other midstream assets that EQT got in its re-acquisition of Equitrans Midstream, the partners announced Monday.
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November 25, 2024
Kennedys Gets Green Light For Net-Zero Goal
Kennedys said Monday its plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 has received approval from a scheme run by a coalition of nonprofit organizations to help businesses set goals and plans to reduce their pollutants.
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November 25, 2024
Solar Co. Ex-CEO Attys Say DQ Request 'Untethered To Facts'
Lawyers representing the former CEO of a now-defunct solar energy company against fraud and racketeering claims have told a Michigan federal judge that their previous in-house work for the company is not grounds to disqualify them from the suit, calling the plaintiffs' attempt to have them removed "untethered to facts" and improperly delayed.
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November 25, 2024
Justices Pass On Ex-Atty's Puerto Rico Bribery Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the bribery convictions of a former attorney who solicited and accepted payments from an environmental contractor to influence three Puerto Rican mayors and helped the contractor secure government contracts worth millions of dollars.
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November 22, 2024
Trump Makes Picks For FDA, CDC And Surgeon General
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday revealed his nominations for several health agencies, picking Johns Hopkins surgeon and professor Dr. Marty Makary for Food and Drug Administration commissioner, former Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, and Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for surgeon general.
Expert Analysis
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Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity
Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
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High Stakes In Justices' Review Of Clean Air Act Venue Fights
Disputes over the Clean Air Act's venue provision may seem arcane, but a forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision encompassing three cases will affect core principles of the separation of powers and constitutional due process in ways that could have significant consequences for the regulated community, say J. Michael Showalter and David Loring at ArentFox Schiff.
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Testing The Waters As New Texas Biz Court Ends 2nd Month
Despite an uptick in filings in the Texas Business Court's initial months of operation, the docket remains fairly light amid an apparent wait-and-see approach from some potential litigants, say attorneys at Norton Rose.
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Opinion
Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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Fluoride Ruling Charts Path To Bypass EPA Risk Evaluations
A California federal court's recent ruling in Food and Water Watch v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ordering the agency to address the public health risks of fluoridated drinking water, establishes a road map for other citizen petitioners to bypass the EPA's formal risk evaluation process, say attorneys at Wiley.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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The Ups And Downs Of SEC's Now-Dissolved ESG Task Force
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Climate and ESG Enforcement Task Force, which was quietly disbanded sometime over the summer, was marked by three years of resistance from some stakeholders to ESG regulation, a mixed record in the courts and several successful enforcement actions, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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What Hawaii High Court Got Right And Wrong In AIG Ruling
Though the Hawaii Supreme Court in its recent Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance decision correctly adopted the majority rule that recklessly caused harm is an accident for coverage purposes, it erred in its interpretation of the pollution exclusion by characterizing climate change as "traditional environmental pollution," say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight
Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Series
Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
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Useful Product Doctrine May Not Shield Against PFAS Liability
Courts have recognized that companies transferring hazardous recycled materials can defeat liability under environmental laws by showing they were selling a useful product — but new laws in California and elsewhere restricting the sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances may change the legal landscape, says Kyle Girouard at Dickinson Wright.
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CFTC Anti-Fraud Blitz Is A Warning To Carbon Credit Sellers
With its recent enforcement actions against a carbon offset project developer and its senior executives for reporting false information about the energy savings of the company's projects, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is staking out its position as a primary regulator in the voluntary carbon credit market, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Series
Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.